BAGALAMUKHI is the Hindu Goddess of truth and deceit. She is one of the Mahavidyas, the wisdom Goddesses. She has the power to tell truth from lies, and to stun liars into silence. She is usually depicted dressed in yellow, seated on a golden throne, and surrounded by yellow lotuses. With one hand, she holds the tongue of a demon, and her other hand holds a club with which she will silence the demon. Bagalamukhi is called on by worshippers for success in stopping gossip, for victory in legal matters, and to undo the effects of black magic or the evil eye. Her name is also seen as BAGALA, BAGLA, or BAGLAMUKHI, and her stotra of 108 names is as follows:

"EEOSTRE IS THE ANGLO-SAXON GODDESS OF SPRING, THE EAST, A SIGN OF REBIRTH, AND RESURRECTION; SHE IS ALSO THE MAIDEN ASPECT OF THE THREE-FOLD GODDESS. EOSTRE APPEARS AS A GODDESS OF PURITY, OF YOUTH, OF BEAUTY...OF NEW LIFE AND NEW BEGINNINGS...THE RIPENESS WITHIN. EOSTRE REPRESENTS THE REBIRTH OF LIFE AFTER THE HARSH WINTER MONTHS; THE EGG, A SYMBOL OF EOSTRE, IS BELIEVED TO REPRESENT THAT VERY REBIRTH. HER GERMANIC NAME MEANS MOVEMENT TOWARD THE SUN. "AND, WHEN EOSTRE MAKES HER APPEARANCE, SHE PROCEEDS TO BLANKET THE EARTH WITH FERTILITY; HENCE, THE FEMALE HORMONE ESTROGEN WAS NAMED AFTER HER.

SHE IS USUALLY DEPICTED AS A BEAUTIFUL YOUNG WOMAN WITH DAFFODILS CASCADING DOWN HER HAIR. EOSTRE IS THE PLAYFUL GODDESS WHO GAINS CONTROL OVER THE EARTH IN THE SPRING. HER PATRON ANIMAL IS THE HARE, AND HERE IS AN INTERESTING LEGEND SURROUNDING THIS HARE.

IT SEEMS THAT ONE YEAR, WHEN EOSTRE WAS LATE IN MAKING HER APPEARANCE, A LITTLE GIRL DISCOVERED A BIRD THAT WAS VERY CLOSE TO DEATH; THE POOR LITTLE CREATURE COULD NOT WITHSTAND THE COLD. THE LITTLE GIRL CALLED OUT TO EOSTRE FOR HELP, AND NO SOONER DID SHE DO THAT, THAN A RAINBOW BRIDGE SEEMED TO APPEAR OUT OF NOWHERE. AND EOSTRE CAME, CLOTHED IN A ROBE OF WARM SUNLIGHT WHICH MELTED ALL THE SNOW. BUT, THE POOR LITTLE BIRD WAS BEYOND HELP. EOSTRE MAGICALLY CHANGED IT INTO A SNOW HARE WHICH WOULD BRING RAINBOW EGGS....A SIGN THAT SPRING WAS COMING. SHE THEN INSTRUCTED THE LITTLE GIRL TO WATCH EACH YEAR FOR THE SNOW HARE TO COME TO THE WOODS.

AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR, WE THINK OF RENEWING OURSELVES AS WELL. WE RENEW OUR DREAMS, OUR HOPES, OUR ASPIRATIONS. THIS IS THE BEST TIME OF THE YEAR TO BEGIN SOMETHING NEW OR TO COMPLETELY REVITALIZE THE OLD. NOW IS THE TIME TO PLANT THE SEEDS OF NEW IDEAS, NEW JOBS.

"TYCHE" WAS THE GREEK GODDESS OF FORTUNE, THE GODDESS OF CHANCE AND PROSPERITY...THE PERSONIFICATION OF HOPE, LUCK, AND WEALTH. SHE WAS THE DAUGHTER OF THE SEA TITANS--OCEANUS AND TETHYS, AND HER REIGN EXTENDS FROM SUCCESS IN BUSINESS DEALINGS TO LUCK WITH GAMBLING. SHE GUIDES THE FINANCIAL AFFAIRS OF THE WORLD AND IS OFTEN DEPICTED WITH NEMESIS WHOSE JOB IT IS TO BALANCE THE DISTRIBUTION OF TYTHE'S BLESSINGS. IRONICALLY, EVEN THOUGH TYTHE HAS NO STORY OR MYTH, SHE HAD ONE OF THE LARGEST CULT FOLLOWINGS AMONGST THE GREEKS.

IN THE COASTAL CITIES, SHE IS KNOWN AS A SEA GODDESS, THE ONE WHO PROTECTS THE SHIPS AND THE PORTS. SHE DRAWS HER WISDOM FROM THE WATERS. HER MAIN SYMBOL IS THAT OF A HUGE HORN, INSIDE OF WHICH IT IS SAID THAT SHE KEEPS ALL OF THE WEALTH AND RICHES OF THE WORLD. LEGEND HAS IT THAT THE HORN ONCE BELONGED TO AMATHEA, THE GOAT WHO FOSTERED ZEUS IN HIS INFANCY. SHE CARRIES THE HORN WITH HER CONSTANTLY, OCCASIONALLY TURNING IT UPSIDE DOWN TO SPREAD ALL OF ITS GOODS FOR ANYONE SHE HAPPENS TO MEET ON THE WAY.

Frau Holle also called Hulda is in old German Mythology the goddess of the dead. She plays a prominent part in German folk-lore and superstition. In stormy nights she can be often heard flying through the air, accompanied by weird spirits and witches. On such occasions it is dangerous for ill-doers to be abroad, as they will surely meet with severe punishment; while to the good she frequently appears as a benefactor. Her particular season is winter; when it snows she is shaking her featherbed.)

SRECHA is the Serbian Goddess of fate and spinning. She spins the thread of life, as an assistant to the great Goddess Makosh. Her role is the same as the Slavic Goddess Dolya, bringing luck to those Makosh smiles upon, except that she was also responsible for protecting the flocks and fields of farmers. Her name is also seen as SRECA, SRETJA, and SRETYA.

"IXCACAO" IS THE MAYAN GODDESS OF THE CACAO TREE AND THE CHOCOLATE THAT IS MADE FROM THE THE FRUIT OF THAT TREE. SHE HAD HUMBLE, BUT HONORABLE ORIGINS AS AN ANCIENT FERTILITY GODDESS. SHE WAS AN EARTH GODDESS IN A MATRIARCHAL SOCIETY WHERE WOMEN GATHERED THE CROPS AND SAW TO IT THAT EVERYONE WAS FED. BANISHING HUNGER AND PROVIDING FOR THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF HER PEOPLE WAS HER DIVINE RESPONSIBILITY.

ACCORDING TO MAYAN CREATION MYTH, THERE WAS A GREAT FLOOD, DEVASTATING DROUGHTS AND EARTHQUAKES THAT DESTROYED THE GODS' PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS TO CREATE A RACE OF HUMANS THAT WOULD LOVE THEM AND SING SONGS ABOUT THEIR GLORY. AFTER ALL, THE HUMAN RACE HAD BEEN DECIMATED BY CATACLYSMIC EVENTS BEFORE... THIS WASN'T THE FIRST ATTEMPT BY THE GODS TO REPOPULATE THE WORLD WITH HUMANS WHO, LIKE THEM. COULD THINK AND SPEAK, CREATURES WHO WOULD BE GRATEFUL TO THEM, AND HONOR AND PRAISE THE GODS FOR GIVING THEM THEIR LIVES. SHE WAS OFTEN INVOKED IN PRAYER ALONG WITH THE "CORN MOTHER", THE "RAIN GOD "AND OTHER AGRICULTURAL DEITIES. A PRAYER QUOTED FROM AN OLD MAYAN LEGEND TO PROMOTE A GOOD HARVEST IN TIMES OF HUNGER GOES:

"IXCANIL, GODDESS OF SEED, HEAR ME."IXTOQ, GODDESS OF RAIN, HELP ME."IXCACAU, GODDESS OF CHOCOLATE, SEE MY TEARS AND COME TO MY AID."

BEIWE IS A SCANDINAVIAN SUN GODDESS, AND THE SAMI PEOPLE OF FINLAND WORSHIPPED HER AS THE GREAT GODDESS OF THE SPRING AND MENTAL CLARITY. SHE IS THE POWER OF THE SUN AND FERTILITY; IT IS BEIWE WHO ENABLES THE PLANTS TO GROW, AND, HENCE, ENSURES THE SURVIVAL OF HUMANITY.

HER SACRED ANIMAL IS THE REINDEER, AND ACCORDING TO THE FOLKLORE, IT BELIEVED THAT SHE TRAVELS THROUGH THE SKY EVERY SPRING ACCOMPANIED BY HER DAUGHTER, BEIWE-NEIDA. THEY RIDE IN AN ENCLOSURE MADE OF REINDEER ANTLERS, BRINGING THE GREENNESS OF DEVELOPING LIFE TO THE ARCTIC SPRING AND THE LIGHT TO THE LANDSCAPES AFTER THE HARSH NORTHERN WINTERS WHICH ARE DOMINATED BY THE SNOW.

BEIWE CHASES AWAY THE WINTER AND RESTORES THE SANITY OF THOSE WHO HAVE LOST THEMSELVES IN THE DARKNESS OF THE SEASON FOR SHE IS ONE OF THE FEW DEITIES WHO IS INVOKED FOR THE RELIEF OF MENTAL ILLNESS, AND AS SUCH, IS A PATRON OF THOSE OF US WHO WORK WITH PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS. ALTHOUGH I REALLY HAVEN'T DONE MUCH STUDY ON IT AND CANNOT SAY FOR SURE, I CAN IMAGINE THERE IS A HIGH INCIDENCE OF DEPRESSION IN NORTHERN SCANDINAVIA SINCE THERE IS AN ABSENCE OF LIGHT FOR UP TO 22 HOURS PER DAY. MYSELF, ALTHOUGH NOT THRUST INTO TOTAL DARKNESS FOR SUCH A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, I TEND TO SUFFER FROM SADD IN THE MONTHS OF FEBRUARY AND MARCH. IF ANYONE KNOWS THE RATES OF DEPRESSION IN THE NORTHERN AREAS, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO KNOW.

SO, WE CAN SEE THAT THERE IS DEFINITELY A REALITY TO THE FEELING OF BEING MORE OPTIMISTIC WHEN THERE IS A RAY OF SUNSHINE; PERHAPS ONE OF THE REASONS FOR THE TRADITIONAL LIGHTING OF BONFIRES IN WINTER IS TO CREATE WARMTH AND LIGHT.

CIHUACOATL (pronounced see-wah-co-AH-tl) is the Aztec Goddess of earth and fertility. She is the patron of midwives and took charge of the souls of women who died in childbirth. These souls were called "cihuateteo" after the Goddess, and they were said to haunt crossroads where they waited to steal children. Cihuacoatl helped Quetzalcoatl in creating humanity by mixing the ground bones of earlier peoples with the blood of the old Gods. Her name means "snake woman" and is also seen as CIHUHCOATL or CIUCOATL.

SHE IS KNOWN AS "MUJAJI". SHE IS THE RAIN QUEEN WHO NEVER DIES. THE LOVEDU PEOPLE CALL UPON HER IN TIMES OF DROUGHT, WHEN SHE USES SECRET CHARMS AND THE HELP OF HER ANCESTORS TO MAKE RAIN AND KEEP THE LAND IN GOOD HEALTH. SHE IS THE SOUTH AFRICAN GODDESS OF THE RAIN WHO RULES OVER THE RAINFALL, STORMS, FLOODS, AND PURIFICATION, AS WELL AS DROUGHT. SHE BRINGS GENTLE RAINS TO THE LAND WHEN SHE IS HAPPY, AND DESTRUCTIVE TEMPESTS WHEN SHE IS ANGRY.

"MUJAJ"I IS THE QUEEN OF HER PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO KING, BUT SHE SELDOM APPEARED TO HUMAN BEINGS. SHE IS SAID TO RESIDE IN THE DRAKENSBERG MOUNTAINS. IN TIMES PAST, SHE WAS PROPITIATED WITH SACRIFICES OF CATTLE. SHE CLEANSES WORSHIPERS IN PREPARATION FOR RITUAL, AND THE PEOPLE DANCE AS AN OFFERING TO HER. THOSE WHO WORSHIPED HER WERE BLESSED WITH GENTLE RAIN THAT MADE THEIR GARDENS FLOURISH.

FLOWER WOMAN is the Yaqui Goddess of prophecy. A Yaqui myth tells of the time just before the Spaniards came to North America. A tribe called the Surem lived in the Sonoran desert. One day, a tree began to shake and make strange noises, but no one could understand what it said. A young woman came forward and told the people that the tree was telling them that the world was about to change, that a new people would come and bring new beliefs and new ways. Some of the people did not like Flower Woman's message, and chose to leave the tribe and live underground. The rest of the people stayed and became the Yaqui, who merged the newcomers' ways with their own.

The festival of Diwali has strong astrological energies because it marks the end of the Hindu Lunar Year and the beginning of a new one; the exact day of the beginning of the festival is decided by the position of the Moon. According to the Hindu calendar 'no moon day' (new moon) is considered the perfect day to celebrate Diwali. It is also a harvest festival which this year will fall on October 17th. Diwali is one of the biggest festivals of the Hindus and is celebrated with great enthusiasm and happiness throughout the Hindu world, and lthe festivities last for five days.

During this time, women decorate their homes with rice paintings and sand mandalas; the men light clay lamps in the hopes of showing their ancestors the pathway to heaven. The children shoot off fireworks in the streets. Dawali is the celebration of the victory of good over evil. It is a special time, a perfect time for family gatherings, foods, and celebrations when everyone greets their familiy members and friends, forgetting and forgiving the wrongdoings which have been done during the year. Individuals take an oil bath, prepare sweet meats, and pray to Kali to destroy their ignorance as well as to grant their wishes. The night sky is lit with fireworks to chase away the evil spirits.

This Kali festival is also Mother's Day in India, a time when Indian women are presented with gifts of new clothing and jewelry and are also treated with a great reverence. Temples dedicated to Kali are freshly painted and glow with glittering lights at night, and offerings of cooked rice and curd are brought in pots for Kali. A "puja" (worship of a consecrated idol) ritual is performed in the evening when the clay lamps are lit A "puja "is believed to harness cosmic energy or spiritual goals. This rutual involves the use of all the five senses: sight, smell, touch, sound, and taste. It can be quite an exciting experience with its colorful flowers and fruits, incense sticks and other fragrances, the sounds of conch shells, sacred hymns and songs.

"If one offers me a simple leaf, fruit, or flower with love and devotion, I will accept it."--Bhagvad Gita"

TRIPURA SUNDARI is one of the Hindu Mahavidyas, Goddesses of wisdom. There are ten Mahavidyas--Tripura Sundari, Kali, Tara, Chinnamasta, Bhuvaneshvari, Bagalamukhi, Dhumavati, Kamala, Matangi, and Bhairavi. Tripura Sundari is the beauty of the world, the beauty of creation. She is the great mother who unites the powers of the spirit, the mind, and the body. She is also known as SHODASHI, LALITA, and RAJARAJESHVARI. As Shodashi, she is depicted as a girl of sixteen, and it is said that she shines like the light of the rising sun.

"ABUNDANTIA" IS THE BEAUTIFUL ROMAN GODDESS OF PROSPERITY. LUCK, AND OF COURSE, ABUNDANCE. SHE IS KNOWN AS THE BEAUTIFUL MAIDEN OF SUCCESS. HER NAME ITSELF MEANS "OVERFLOWING RICHES." SHE IS THE PERSONIFICATION OF WEALTH AND RICHES AND IS WILLING TO BLESS ALL WHO ASK FOR HER GIFTS. IN ROMAN MYTHOLOGY, IT IS SAID THAT SHE BROUGHT MONEY AND OTHER GOODS TO THE PEOPLE WHILE THEY SLEPT.

IN FACT, IN ANCIENT TIMES, WE CAN FIND HER IMAGE ON ROMAN COINS. SHE IS USUALLY DEPICTED AS A BEAUTIFUL YOUNG WOMAN WHO CARRIES WITH HER A CORNUCOPIA FROM WHICH SHE DISTRIBUTES FOOD AND MONEY. SHE IS ALSO A NORSE GODDESS AS WELL, AND IN NORSE MYTHOLOGY SHE IS KNOWN AS "FULLA" AND WAS AN ATTENDANT OF FRIGG.

ABUNDANTIA IS WISE IN THE WAYS OF FINANCE, AND IF INVITED, SHE WILL PROVIDE GUIDANCE AND SAFEGUARD OUR VALUABLES, THUS PROVIDING US WITH PEACE OF MIND. SHE ACTUALLY ENCOURAGES US TO ASK FOR HELP, REMINDING US THAT ASKING FOR HELP WHEN YOU NEED IT IS TRULY A SIGN OF STRENGTH. CALL ON ABUNDANTIA WHEN YOU NEED FINANCIAL HELP. TODAY WE KNOW HER AS "LADY LUCK".

GBADU is the Fon Goddess of fate. She is the daughter of Mawu and Lisa. She lived on top of a palm tree in the sky, where Mawu had told her to sit in order that she could watch what happened in the land, sea, and sky. Gbadu has sixteen eyes which she could not open for herself. Each morning when she awoke, her brother Legba would come to her palm tree and ask her which of her eyes she wanted open. Instead of speaking, she would place palm kernels in his hand to correspond to her eyes.

Gbadu had several children while living in her tree, including two daughters and numerous sons. Yet she was troubled, because she did not know why Mawu had told her to stay in the tree. She also saw that there was trouble in the land, sea, and sky, because no one knew how to speak Mawu's language or how to behave properly. The only one who could speak Mawu's language was Legba, so Gbadu asked him to help. Mawu told Legba to teach her language to three of Gbadu's sons and send them to earth. She also gave Gbadu the keys to the future and devised a way for men to use palm kernels to open Gbadu's eyes and see their fates. The three sons of Gbadu--Duwo, Kiti, and Zose--taught men how to divine their future, and also reminded them that they all come from Mawu, and that only she could give them life.

AURORA IS THE ROMAN GODDESS OF THE DAWN, AND LIKE HER GREEK COUNTERPART, EOS, SHE IS THE PERSONIFICATION OF DAWN, OF LIGHT AND RENEWAL. AURORA LIVES HER LIFE ENMESHED IN A SERIES OF BRIEF ENCOUNTERS; SHE IS FOREVER OUTSHONE THE THE MAGESTIC HELIOS. AURORA IS KNOWN TO BE AN AMOROUS DEITY WHO HAS MANY MORTAL AND IMMORTAL CONSORTS, AND SHE HAS A FLEETING, YET ETERNALLY RECURRING BEAUTY, WHICH IS EXPRESSED THROUGH TALES OF HER MANY SAD AND ILL-FATED LOVE AFFAIRS. HER SENSUALITY AND VIBRANCY MAKE HER IMPOSSIBLE TO RESIST.

ONE OF HER LOST LOVES WAS GANYMEDE, THE LARGEST MOON OF JUPITER, BUT THE AFFAIR WAS BRIEF AND CAME TO AN ABRUPT ENDING WHEN ZEUS DECIDED TO CLAIM HIM FOR HIS OWN. SHE WAS ALSO THE MISTRESS OF ARES, THE GOD OF WAR, BUT ARES WAS THE PARTNER OF APHRODITE, A JEALOUS AND SOMETIMES VINDICTIVE GODDESS. THAT AFFAIR DID NOT LAST LONG. SHE THEN FELL IN LOVE WITH ORION, BUT THIS ENCOUNTER, TOO, WAS BRIEF.

EACH OF THE MYTHS CHARACTERIZE HER AS A FLEETING BEAUTY, ONE WHOSE LIFE IS DESTINED TO BE LIVED IN THE TRANSIENT MOMENTS BETWEEN THE DARK OF THE NIGHT AND THE APPEARANCE OF THE SUN. WHAT A FITTING WAY TO DESCRIBE THE DAWN WHOSE FLEETING BEAUTY APPEARS ON THE HORIZON EACH MORN, ONLY TO FADE IN THE BRILLIANCE OF THE SUN. AND THROUGH HER TEARS OF SORROW AND LONELINESS, SHE BRINGS THE MORNING DEW...FOR HER ATTEMPTS TO CREATE A SATISFYING LIFE FOR HERSELF ARE FOREVER TO BE DOOMED TO RENEW HERSELF IN THE MORNING AND FLY ACROSS THE SKY...ANNOUNCING THE ARRIVAL OF HELIOS.

GAMBIA IS THE SMALLEST COUNTY TO BE FOUND ON MAINLAND AFRICA, AND MANY OF THE PEOPLES' ANCIENT TALES LINK THE SUN AND THE MOON AS PARTNERS, AS PARTNERS, SPOUSES. FOR EXAMPLE, THE BENIN PEOPLE OF GAMBIA HAVE A WONDERFUL TALE ABOUT THE DAHOMEAN MOON WOMAN; SHE IS ALSO CALLED THE MOON, NIGHT, AND MOTHER. AS THE STORY GOES, SUN AND MOON AND THEIR CHILDREN, THE STARS, WERE A FAMILY. SUN LIKED TO GO OUT DURING THE DAY, AND HE LOVED TAKING HIS CHILDREN WITH HIM, BUT THIS WORRIED MOON WHO FELT IT WAS FAR TOO HOT FOR THEM. SO, SHE DECIDED TO PROTECT THEM BY MAKING SURE THAT THEY ONLY WENT OUT DURING THE NIGHT. THIS MADE SUN VERY ANGRY, SO HE NOW SPENDS HIS TIME CHASING HER ACROSS THE SKY. SOMETIMES HE DOES MANAGE TO CATCH HER...AND THIS IS WHEN WE HAVE AN ECLIPSE.

IN YET ANOTHER GAMBIAN GROUP, THE SERER, WE FIND ANTHER MOON WOMAN MYTH. IN THIS TALE, SUN AND MOON ARE OUT TOGETHER AND JUST HAPPEN TO PASS BY THE WATERFALL WHERE THEIR MOTHERS ARE ENJOYING A BATH. SUN LOOKS AWAY, BUT MOON CAN'T HELP BUT STARE AT THE NAKED WOMEN. SEEING THIS, GOD DECIDES TO MAKE SUN SO BRIGHT THAT PEOPLE WOULD KNOW ABOUT HIS MODEST BEHAVIOR; AND AS TO MOON, HE DELIBERATELY MADE HER HOTTER THAN THE SUN SO THAT THE PEOPLE WOULD STARE AT HER JUST LIKE SHE HAD DONE TO HER MOTHER.

THESE LITTLE TALES OFFER SOME VERY PRACTICAL ADVICE AND ACTUALLY CREATE SOCIAL RULES AS TO HOW PEOPLE SHOULD BEHAVE. CHILDREN SHOULD NOT BE RUNNING ABOUT IN THE HEAT; IT'S NOT GOOD FOR THEM, AND THEY MIGHT SUFFER FROM HEATSTROKE. AND, A PERSON MUST NEVER STARE AT THEIR MOTHER'S NUDITY.

The WHITE WOMEN are known throughout the world by many names-in Germany they are the WEISSE FRAUEN, in the Netherlands the WITTE WIEVEN, and in France les DAMES BLANCHES. They are the spirits of wise women who have passed to the next world, and they usually reside near hills, bridges and graveyards, appearing to people who pass by. They can be mischievous, asking that travelers stop and dance with them or demanding some form of offering. They are kind to those who are kind to them, and with their gift of prophecy they often give a glimpse into the future. Those who disregard them will find their journey filled with obstacles.

"AMONG THE WOTJOBALUK "OF SOUTHEASTERN AUSTRALIA, THE SUN MOTHER'S NAME WAS "GNOWEE. "ACCORDING TO LEGEND, SHE LIVED ON THE EARTH WHEN IT WAS NEW AND IN DARKNESS, A TIME BEFORE THERE WAS NO SUN, AND PEOPLE HAD TO CARRY BARK TORCHES TO FIND THEIR WAY AROUND. IN SUCH A DARK WORLD, "GNOWEE" FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO FIND FOOD FOR HER SLEEPING CHILD. YAMS WERE SCARCE, AND SHE WANDERED TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH IN SEARCH OF THEM, BUT NO FOOD COULD BE FOUND.

FINALLY, SHE TURNED TO GO BACK AND DISCOVERED THAT SHE COULD NOT FIND HER WAY BACK IN THE DARKNESS. SHE WALKED AND WALKED, BUT COULD NOT FIND HER SON ANYWHERE. EVENTUALLY SHE CLIMBED UP INTO THE SKY CARRYING HER TORCH TO GET A BETTER VIEW, BUT SHE NEVER FOUND HIM. AND, TO THIS DAY, SHE STILL WANDERS ACROSS THE FACE OF THE EARTH, AND UNDERNEATH IT...LOOKING FOR HER SON...AND THIS IS WHY THE SUN RISES AND SETS EVERY DAY.

LEGEND STATES THAT IF SHE EVER FINDS HIM, HER TORCH WILL BE EXTINGUISHED, AND THE WORLD WILL BE PLUNGED INTO DARKNESS ONCE AGAIN.

IN JAPAN, "KISHIJOTEN" IS THE SHINTO GODDESS OF BEAUTY, SONG, DANCE, AND LUCK. SHE IS THE SISTER OF "BISHANON", THE GOD OF WAR, AND ONE OF THE SEVEN DEITIES OF GOOD FORTUNE. AS A PATRON OF THE ARTS, SHE CAN BE LIKENED TO THE "GREEK MUSES. " SHE IS THE PROTECTRESS OF THE GEISHA, THOSE HIGHLY TRAINED WOMEN WHO ENTERTAIN MEN WITH SONG AND DANCE. THOSE WHO CONSIDER THEMSELVES MODERN GEISHA OFTEN SEEK HER PROTECTION.

SHE HOLDS IN HER LEFT HAND A WHITE DIAMOND, HER SACRED SYMBOL." KISHIJOTEN" IS ALSO ACKNOWLEDGED AS A PROTECTOR OF CHILDREN. MOTHERS CEREMONIOUSLY INVOKE THIS GODDESS TO PROVIDE PROTECTION AND KEEP MISFORTUNE AWAY FROM THEIR INFANTS AND OLD CHILDREN.

CORN MOTHER is the Native American Goddess of renewal, motherhood, and you guessed it, corn. She was the first mother of the people on earth, and they were great hunters. Unfortunately, they hunted so much that the animals were almost all killed off, and there was no meat left to eat. The children came to Corn Mother and asked her for food, but she had none to give. Corn Mother then said to her husband, "you must kill me and have our sons drag my body on a cleared patch of earth until there is no flesh left on my bones. Then bury my bones in the center of the patch. Leave this place for seven moons, and when you return there will be food enough for all."

Corn Mother's husband did as she had asked, and her sons dragged her body until there was no flesh left. They buried the bones in the center of the clearing, and then went away in grief. Seven months later, they returned to find tall plants with tassels of silken hair such as Corn Mother had. These plants were what had become of Corn Mother's flesh--it had turned to corn for the people to eat. At the center of the clearing where her bones were buried, there was a plant with broad leaves. This plant was tobacco, which the people used in ceremonies to celebrate the bounty that Corn Mother gave them.

SALUS is the Roman Goddess of health and welfare. Similar to the Greek Goddess Hygieia, she was responsible for the health of both individuals and the Roman state. One of her titles, SALUS PUBLICA POPULI ROMANI (Goddess of the public welfare of the Roman people), illustrates this all-encompassing role. She is often depicting holding or feeding a snake, a common symbol of healing.

The XANAS are Asturian water nymphs. Short beautiful women with long blonde hair, they live in fountains or near rivers and streams in Asturias in the north of Spain. They can be either good or evil, depending on whether the person they appear to is good or evil themselves. When appearing to a good person, the Xanas sing songs that bring peace to the heart and often reward the person with great treasure. When appearing to an evil person, the song of the Xanas can cause madness. The myth of the Xanas is preserved in place names in Asturias, such as the Desfiladero de las Xanas, a limestone canyon carved by the river of the same name.

The windings of these serpents formed the base, and the three heads sustained the three feet of the tripod. It is impossible to secure satisfactory information concerning the shape and size of the celebrated Delphian tripod. Theories concerning it are based (in most part) upon small ornamental tripods discovered in various temples.

"AKKA "IS TRADITIONALLY A FEMALE SPIRIT IN "SAM"I AND "FINNISH" MYTHOLOGY. " AKKA "MEANS "OLD WOMAN "AND IN FINLAND, IT MEANS "GREAT GRANDMOTHER" OR "ANCESTRESS. MADDER" MEANS "EARTH" OR "GROUND". "MADDERAKKA" IS THE "SAMI "GODDESS OF CHILDBIRTH. SHE IS ASSISTED BY THREE OF HER DAUGHTERS"ZARAKKA, "THE CLEAVING WOMAN; "UKSAKKA", THE DOOR WOMAN; AND "JUKSAKKA", THE BOW WOMANWHO WATCH OVER THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHILD FROM CONCEPTION THROUGH EARLY CHILDHOOD.

"MADDERAKKA" AND HER MALE COMPANION "MADDERATCHA "WERE, ACCORDING TO THE LAPPS, THE DIVINE COUPLE WHO CREATED HUMANKIND. MADDER-ATCHA WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SOUL AND "MADDERAKKA" FOR THE BODY. TO FORM A CHILD THE SPIRIT WAS GIVEN TO "MADDERAKKA" WHO CREATED THE BODY FOR THE SOUL WHICH HAD BEEN RECEIVED FROM RADIEN, THE WORLD RULER DEITY, AND THEN PLACED IN THE MOTHER'S WOMB. WHILE "MADDERAKKA "HAD GENERAL CONTROL OF FERTILITY, HER DAUGHTERS WERE MORE DIRECTLY INVOLVED WITH HUMAN REPRODUCTION.

"JUKSAKKA "CAN CHANGE IN THE WOMB A DAUGHTER TO A SON. ZARAKKA" WAS ALSO THOUGHT OF AS THE SEPARATING WOMAN WHO MADE CHILDBIRTH EASIER AND WAS CONSIDERED TO BE A DEITY OF WOMEN IN A MORE GENERAL SENSE, AIDING THEM IN WOMEN'S CONCERNS SUCH AS MENSTRUATION. IT WAS SAID THAT SHE SUFFERS THE PAIN OF CHILDBIRTH RIGHT ALONG WITH THE MOTHER. "USSAKKA" WAS BELIEVED TO RECEIVE THE CHILD AT BIRTH AND CARE FOR IT, PROTECTING IT FROM ACCIDENTS.

"MADDERAKKA" LIVED INSIDE THE WALLS. THE PLACE OF "ZARAKKA" IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HOUSE, BY THE HEARTH. "UKSAKKA", THE OLD DOOR WOMAN, WAS SUPPOSED TO GUARD THE ENTRANCE TO THE HUT. Thus a little milk was always thrown out of the door at mealtime in order to win the favor of the "Uks-akka. Jusakka "was probably at the back of the house.